In April 2026, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, and the Sichuan Provincial Medical Products Administration successively issued announcements on cosmetic supervision and sampling inspection. A total of 103 batches of cosmetics were found non-compliant, and 47 batches were detected with prohibited ingredients.
China introduces an electronic labelling pilot for imported cosmetics in Shanghai, changing label verification rules and QR code requirements for import compliance.
On April 30, 2026, China has published the mandatory national standard GB 26396–2026 (Safety Technical Specification for Cleaning Products), upgrading the former recommended standard GB/T 26396-2011. Effective May 1, 2027, the standard sets unified requirements on raw materials, safety indicators, and labeling for all cleaning products manufactured, sold, or imported in China.
On May 11, 2026, GACC issued Announcement No. 61 to supplement the implementation of the new Measures for the Inspection and Quarantine Supervision and Administration of Import and Export Cosmetics (Decree No. 284). Effective December 1, 2026, it specifies operational requirements for import declaration, information record-keeping, and pre-export inspection, while repealing multiple prior regulations.
In April 2026, the NMPA issued the 2026 Cosmetic Standards Project Plan, covering 27 standards across categories including cosmetic ingredients, product standards, and testing methods. Among them, 6 hair dye ingredient standards are particularly noteworthy. The NMPA has explicitly indicated that China's permitted hair dye list is expected to accelerate its expansion from the current 72 types, offering consumers a wider range of hair color choices. CIRS Group provides a detailed interpretation below.
CIRS Group has compiled and summarized the latest global cosmetics regulatory developments in April 2026, covering industry news, new regulations, policy adjustments, and regulatory trends, helping companies stay compliant and fully informed of the evolving global cosmetics regulatory landscape.
Recently, China NIFDC issued two technical guidelines for hair perming cosmetics. CIRS Group provides an in-depth interpretation covering nine core aspects-offering comprehensive and professional technical support and practical guidance for cosmetics enterprises. Additionally, a detailed comparison between the official versions and the drafts for comments of both guidelines is attached, helping enterprises quickly grasp the key revisions and accurately adapt to the new regulatory requirements.
On April 15, 2026, China’s NIFDC published two trial technical guidelines for hair dye cosmetics, clarifying their scope of application and core requirements for research and quality control. CIRS Group provides a comprehensive interpretation of the key points of both guidelines to help cosmetic enterprises quickly capture compliance essentials and accurately grasp core requirements.
On April 24, 2026, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) issued the Notice on Issuing the 2026 Cosmetics Standard Project Initiation Plan. The plan includes a total of 27 standards related to the cosmetics sector, among which Determination Method for Water Resistance of Sunscreen Cosmetics is a revised standard, and all the rest are newly formulated standards.
On April 15, 2026, the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) published six technical guidelines regaeding hair dye, perm and sunscreen cosmetics. The promulgation and implementation of the above technical guidelines provide normative technical basis for the study and quality control of above three kinds of cosmetics.
